“Mr Abe may be burning to give Japan a more normal foreign policy, but what it needs most is a more normal economy. His signature policy—Abenomics—is far from complete. The fiscal and monetary expansion, his first two “arrows”, were supposed to buy time for the third and most important one: sweeping structural reforms, leading to enduring growth. The economy should take precedence over constitutional reform… Otherwise, Mr Abe will be remembered less for his long tenure than for wasting it.”

“President Trump wants everyone to know he is a master trade negotiator, but this week his volleys look more like a mess than mastery. His China policy is all over the place, Nafta is in jeopardy, and his new threat to impose a 25% tariff on auto imports undercuts his foreign policy and economic goals.”

“Another day, another embarrassing foreign policy circus in the nation’s capital that can only further erode trust in American leadership at home and abroad.” President Trump undercut Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, raising “doubts among world leaders about whether he represents the president’s true intentions.” While Tillerson has his own faults, “those weaknesses are nothing compared to those of an inexperienced, self-absorbed, bombastic and impulsive president.”

“Clearly, Trump’s foreign policy, if it can be called that, is to ratchet up tensions and trouble and keep the world at bay, wondering what he will do next… Trump’s character is a terrible limitation as an unpopular president, yet it has taken him to the pinnacle of power.”

“Europe has been so weakened by the tumultuous events of 2016 that it is left unprepared to deal with the three big foreign policy challenges of 2017:” 1) Donald Trump, 2) “the increasing power of Vladimir Putin,” and 3) terrorism.

“Elon Musk could likely have more influence on America’s future foreign policy than whoever ends up as president” if he delivers on his promise of an all-electric version of his Model S car that matches “the driving distance of a gas-powered sedan at a comparable $30,000 price tag by 2020.” If he can pulls this feat off, “the geopolitical effects will be greater than anything since World War II. Maybe even greater.”

“What would the world look like today if Harry Truman or Dwight Eisenhower had shared the foreign policy inclinations of Barack Obama or, far more dangerous, Donald Trump?” In the past, there have always been “politicians who would take up the hard work of making the case for U.S. leadership, beginning with presidents such as Truman and Kennedy, Reagan and Clinton. That’s a tradition that stands in danger today,” which is a problem because U.S. leadership still matters.

“The sweeping victory of Justin Trudeau in Canada’s elections on Monday shows how ready Canadians were to emerge from a decade under the Conservative government of the secretive and combative Stephen Harper,” who proved to be “at odds with” Canada’s identity, which features “core values, like a generous safety net, active participation in international organizations like the United Nations, a humanitarian foreign policy and an inclusive concept of nationhood.”